This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

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rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

29967 

Vol. 75, No. 103 

Friday, May 28, 2010 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–NOP–10–0046; NOP–10–02] 

National Organic Program Request for 

an Extension of a Currently Approved 

Information Collection 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice 

announces the Agricultural Marketing 

Service’s intention to request approval 

from the Office of Management and 

Budget, for an extension of the currently 

approved information collection 

National Organic Program (NOP) Record 

Keeping Requirements. 

DATES: Comments received by July 27, 

2010 will be considered. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments 

concerning this notice. Comments must 

be sent to Toni Strother, Agricultural 

Marketing Specialist, National Organic 

Program, AMS/USDA, 1400 

Independence Ave., SW., Room 2646– 

So., Ag Stop 0268, Washington, DC 

20250–0268 or by Internet: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Written comments 

responding to this notice should be 

identified with the document number 

AMS–NOP–10–0046; NOP–10–02. It is 

USDA’s intention to have all comments 

concerning this notice, including names 

and addresses when provided, 

regardless of submission procedure 

used, available for viewing on the 

Regulations.gov (http:// 

www.regulation.gov) Internet site. 

Comments submitted in response to this 

notice will also be available for viewing 

in person at USDA–AMS, National 

Organic Program, Room 2624–South 

Building, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., 

Washington, DC, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon 

and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 

through Friday (except official Federal 

holidays). Persons wanting to visit the 

USDA South Building to view 

comments received in response to this 

notice are requested to make an 

appointment in advance by calling (202) 

720–3252. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Toni 

Strother, Agricultural Marketing 

Specialist, Standards Division, 

Telephone: (202) 720–3252. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: National Organic Program. 

OMB Number: 0581–0191. 

Expiration Date of Approval: October 

31, 2010. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: The Organic Foods 

Production Act of 1990 (OFPA) as 

amended (7 U.S.C. 6501–6522) 

mandates that the Secretary develop a 

NOP to accredit eligible State program’s 

governing State officials or private 

persons as certifying agents who would 

certify producers or handlers of 

agricultural products that have been 

produced using organic methods as 

provided for in OFPA. This regulation: 

(1) Established national standards 

governing the marketing of certain 

agricultural products as organically 

produced products; (2) assures 

consumers that organically produced 

products meet a consistent standard; 

and (3) facilitates interstate commerce 

in fresh and processed food that is 

organically produced. 

Reporting and recordkeeping are 

essential to the integrity of the organic 

certification system. They create a paper 

trail that is a critical element in carrying 

out the mandate of OFPA and NOP. 

They serve the AMS mission, program 

objectives, and management needs by 

providing information on the efficiency 

and effectiveness of the program. The 

information affects decisions because it 

is the basis for evaluating compliance 

with OFPA and NOP, for administering 

the program, for management decisions 

and planning, and for establishing the 

cost of the program. It supports 

administrative and regulatory actions in 

response to noncompliance with OFPA 

and NOP. 

In general, the information collected 

is used by USDA, State program 

governing State officials, and certifying 

agents. It is created and submitted by 

State and foreign program officials, peer 

review panel members, accredited 

certifying agents, organic inspectors, 

certified organic producers and 

handlers, those seeking accreditation or 

certification, and parties interested in 

changing the National List. 

Additionally, it necessitates that all of 

these entities have procedures and 

space for recordkeeping. 

USDA. USDA is the accrediting 

authority. USDA accredits domestic and 

foreign certifying agents who certify 

domestic and foreign organic producers 

and handlers, using information from 

the agents documenting their business 

operations and program expertise. 

USDA also permits States to establish 

their own organic certification programs 

after the programs are approved by the 

Secretary, using information from the 

States documenting their ability to 

operate such programs and showing that 

such programs meet the requirements of 

OFPA and NOP. 

States. States may operate their own 

organic certification programs. State 

officials obtain the Secretary’s approval 

of their programs by submitting 

information to USDA documenting their 

ability to operate such programs and 

showing that such programs meet the 

requirements of OFPA and NOP. The 

Secretary, or delegated representative, 

will review a State organic program not 

less than once during each 5-year period 

following the date of the initial program 

approval. To date, one State organic 

certification program is approved by 

USDA. The initial burden for each State 

organic certification program is an 

average of 40 hours or if calculated at 

a rate of $32 per hour (rounded up to 

the next dollar) $1,280. State organic 

certification programs require reporting 

and recordkeeping burdens similar to 

those required by the NOP. The average 

annual burden for States are 55 hours or 

if calculated at a rate of $32 per hour 

(rounded up to the next dollar) $1,760. 

Certifying agents. Certifying agents are 

State, private, or foreign entities who are 

accredited by USDA to certify domestic 

and foreign producers and handlers as 

organic in accordance with OFPA and 

NOP. Each entity wanting to be an agent 

seeks accreditation from USDA, 

submitting information documenting its 

business operations and program 

expertise. Accredited agents determine 

if a producer or handler meets organic 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
29968 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 103 / Friday, May 28, 2010 / Notices 

requirements, using detailed 

information from the operation 

documenting its specific practices and 

on-site inspection reports from organic 

inspectors. Initial estimates were based 

on 59 entities applying for accreditation 

(13 State certifiers, 36 private entities, 

10 foreign entities). The initial burden 

for each State certifier was an average of 

695 hours or if calculated at a rate of 

$27 per hour (rounded up to the next 

dollar) $18,765. The initial burden for 

each private or foreign entity was 700 

hours or if calculated at a rate of $27 per 

hour (rounded up to the next dollar) 

$18,900. Currently, 97 certifying agents 

(21 State certifiers, 33 private entities, 

43 foreign entities) have been 

accredited. The AMS anticipates 

receiving approximately 3 new 

applications per year. Accredited 

certifying agents submit annual updates 

with an annual burden, for each 

certifying agent, of an average of 11 

hours or if calculated at a rate of $32 per 

hour (rounded up to the next dollar) 

$352. 

Administrative costs for reporting, 

disclosure of information, and 

recordkeeping vary among certifying 

agents. Factors affecting costs include 

the number and size of clients, the 

categories of certification provided, and 

the type of systems maintained. 

When an entity applies for 

accreditation as a certifying agent, it 

must provide a copy of its procedures 

for complying with recordkeeping 

requirements (§ 205.504(b)(3)). Once 

certified, agents have to make their 

records available for inspection and 

copying by authorized representatives of 

the Secretary (§ 205.501(a)(9)). The 

USDA charges certifying agents for the 

time required to do these document 

reviews. Audits require less time when 

the documents are well organized and 

centrally located. 

Recordkeeping requirements for 

certifying agents are divided into three 

categories of records with varying 

retention periods: (1) Records created by 

certifying agents regarding applicants 

for certification and certified operations, 

maintain 10 years, consistent with 

OFPA’s requirement for maintaining all 

records concerning activities of 

certifying agents; (2) records obtained 

from applicants for certification and 

certified operations, maintain 5 years, 

the same as OFPA’s requirement for the 

retention of records by certified 

operations; and (3) records created or 

received by certifying agents regarding 

accreditation, maintain 5 years, 

consistent with OFPA’s requirement for 

renewal of agent’s accreditation (§ 205.5 

10(b)). 

Organic inspectors. Inspectors, on 

behalf of certifying agents, conduct onsite inspections of certified operations 

and operations applying for 

certification. They determine whether or 

not certification should continue or be 

granted and report their findings to the 

certifying agent. Inspectors are the 

agents themselves, employees of the 

agents, or individual contractors. We 

estimate that about half are certifying 

agents or their employees and half are 

individual contractors. Individuals who 

apply for positions as inspectors submit 

to the agents information documenting 

their qualifications to conduct such 

inspections. Estimates: 293 inspectors 

(147 certifying agents and their 

employees, 146 individual contractors). 

The annual burden for each inspector is 

an average of 1 hour or if calculated at 

$32 per hour (rounded up to the next 

dollar) $32. 

Producers and handlers. Producers 

and handlers, domestic and foreign, 

apply to certifying agents for organic 

certification, submit detailed 

information documenting their specific 

practices, provide annual updates to 

continue their certification, and report 

changes in their practices. Producers 

include farmers, livestock and poultry 

producers, and wild crop harvesters. 

Handlers include those who transport or 

transform food and include millers, bulk 

distributors, food manufacturers, 

processors, repackagers, or packers. 

Some handlers are part of a retail 

operation that processes organic 

products in a location other than the 

premises of the retail outlet. 

The OFPA requires certified operators 

to maintain their records for 5 years. We 

estimate: 36,147 total operators (31,000 

certified and 5,147 exempt), including 

27,102 producers (22,128 certified and 

4,974 exempt) and 8,705 handlers (8,532 

certified and 173 exempt). The annual 

recordkeeping burden for each certified 

operator is an average of 5 hours or if 

calculated at $32 per hour (rounded up 

to the next dollar) $160. 

Administrative costs for reporting and 

recordkeeping vary among certified 

operators. Factors affecting costs 

include the type and size of operation, 

and the type of systems maintained. 

Research studies have indicated that 

operations using product labels 

containing the term ‘‘organic’’ handle an 

average of 20 labels annually and that 

there are about 8,532 handlers with the 

term organic on their label. An estimate 

of the time needed to develop labels for 

products sold, labeled, or represented as 

‘‘100 percent organic,’’ ‘‘organic,’’ ‘‘made 

with organic (specified ingredients),’’ or 

which use the term organic to modify an 

ingredient in the ingredients statement 

is included. Also included is the time 

spent deciding about use of the USDA 

seal, a State emblem, or the seal, logo, 

or other identifying marks of a private 

certifying agent (§§ 205.300–205.310). 

Because the labeling requirements are in 

addition to Food and Drug 

Administration and Food Safety and 

Inspection Service requirements, the 

burden measurement does not include 

the hours necessary to develop the 

entire label. For purposes of calculating 

the burden, it is estimated that each 

handler develops 20 labels annually. 

Estimates: 8,532 certified handlers. The 

annual burden for each certified handler 

is an average of 1 hour per product label 

times 20 product labels per handler or 

if calculated at a rate of $32 per hour 

(rounded up to the next dollar) $640. 

Interested parties. Any interested 

party may petition the National Organic 

Standards Board (NOSB) for the purpose 

of having a substance evaluated for 

recommendation to the Secretary for 

inclusion on or deletion from the 

National List. Estimates: 25 interested 

parties may petition the NOSB. The 

annual burden for each interested party 

is an average of 104 hours or if 

calculated at $32 per hour (rounded up 

to the next dollar) $3,328. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 1.303 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: Producers, handlers, 

certifying agents, inspectors and State, 

Local or Tribal governments and 

interested parties. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

32,600. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 

776,407. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 23.8. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 1,011,647. 

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (3) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 103 / Friday, May 28, 2010 / Notices 29969 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

become a matter of public record. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6501–6522. 

Dated: May 24, 2010. 

Rayne Pegg, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–12833 Filed 5–27–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Information Collection; Volunteer 

Application for Natural Resources 

Agencies 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comment. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Forest Service is seeking comments 

from all interested individuals and 

organizations on the extension with 

revision of a currently approved 

information collection entitled, 

Volunteer Application for Natural 

Resources Agencies. 

DATES: Comments must be received in 

writing on or before July 27, 2010 to be 

assured of consideration. Comments 

received after that date will be 

considered to the extent practicable. 

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this 

notice should be addressed to Merlene 

Mazyck, Youth & Volunteer Programs, 

Forest Service, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., Mailstop 

1136, Washington, DC 20250–1136. 

Comments also may be submitted via 

e-mail to: mmazyck@fs.fed.us. 

The public may inspect comments 

received at Forest Service, USDA, 1621 

N. Kent Street, Rosslyn Plaza East, 

Room 1010, Arlington, VA during 

normal business hours. Visitors are 

encouraged to call ahead to 703–605– 

4831 to facilitate entry to the building. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Merlene Mazyck, Youth & Volunteer 

Programs, 202–205–0650. Individuals 

who use telecommunication devices for 

the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 

Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339, 

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 

Standard time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Volunteer Application for 

Natural Resources Agencies. 

OMB Number: 0596–0080. 

Expiration Date of Approval: 

10/31/2010. 

Type of Request: Extension with 

Revision. 

Abstract: The collected information is 

needed by participating natural 

resources agencies to manage agency 

volunteer programs. Information is 

collected from potential and selected 

volunteers of all ages. Those under the 

age of 18 years must have written 

consent from a parent or guardian. 

Participating Agencies 

The volunteer programs of the 

following natural resource agencies are 

included: 

Department of Agriculture: U.S. 

Forest Service and Natural Resources 

Conservation Service; 

Department of the Interior: National 

Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of 

Reclamation, and U.S. Geological 

Survey; 

Department of Defense: U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers; 

Department of Commerce: National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration. 

Forms 

OF–301 Volunteer Application: 

Individuals interested in volunteering 

may access the National Federal 

volunteer opportunities Web site 

(http://www.volunteer.gov/gov/ 

index.cfm), individual agency Web 

sites, and/or contact agencies to request 

a Volunteer Application (OF–301). 

Applicants provide name, address, 

telephone number, age, preferred work 

categories, available dates, preferred 

location, description of physical 

limitations, and lodging preferences. 

Information collected using this form 

assists agency volunteer coordinators 

and other personnel in matching 

volunteers with agency opportunities 

appropriate for an applicant’s skills and 

physical condition and availability. 

Signature of a parent or guardian is 

mandatory for applicants under 18 years 

of age. 

OF–301A Volunteer Agreement: This 

form is used by participating resource 

agencies to document agreements for 

volunteer services between a Federal 

agency and individual or group 

volunteers, including international 

volunteers. Signature of parent or 

guardian is mandatory for applicants 

under 18 years of age. 

Forms unique to participating 

agencies: The forms listed below gather 

information necessary to reimburse 

volunteers for approved, miscellaneous 

expenses associated with volunteer 

assignments and record service time of 

volunteers. 

U.S. Forest Service: FS–6500–299, 

Volunteers Request for Reimbursement. 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: 

Volunteer Time Sheet; SF–1164, Claim 

for Miscellaneous Expenses. 

U.S. Geological Survey: Form 9–2080, 

USGS Individual Volunteer Agreement. 

National Park Service: Form 10–67, 

Volunteer Claim for Reimbursement. 

Estimate of Annual Burden: 15 

minutes. 

Type of Respondents: Individuals. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Respondents: 400,000. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Responses per Respondent: 5. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 500,000 hours. 

Comment is invited: 

Comment is invited on: (1) Whether 

this collection of information is 

necessary for the stated purposes and 

the proper performance of the functions 

of the Agency, including whether the 

information will have practical or 

scientific utility; (2) the accuracy of the 

Agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

collection of information, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (4) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on 

respondents, including the use of 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. 

All comments received in response to 

this notice, including names and 

addresses when provided, will be a 

matter of public record. Comments will 

be summarized and included in the 

submission request toward Office of 

Management and Budget approval. 

Dated: May 24, 2010. 

William E. Timko, 

Acting Deputy Chief, National Forest System. 

[FR Doc. 2010–12945 Filed 5–27–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2010–0047] 

Environmental Impact Statement; 

Determination of Nonregulated Status 

of Sugar Beet Genetically Engineered 

for Tolerance to the Herbicide 

Glyphosate 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement and 

proposed scope of study. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that the Animal and Plant Health 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES